Recently, curriculum advisors in the province of Alberta offered up some deplorable ideas with regards to the United Conservative Party’s (UCP) elementary school reform. One of the most prominent of which includes replacing education regarding the history of residential schools for Grade 4 students with lessons about ancient Rome and China—a heinous move based on inaccurate assumptions of how children learn as well as intolerance.
Educators in line with the UCP’s views claim children are not equipped to deal with the horrors surrounding Canada’s cultural genocide and should not be exposed to the violence that occurred. However, there are many aspects of this argument that do not make sense, particularly in the context of the proposed new public curriculum, as well as COVID-19.
First, the logic that the harshness of Ancient Rome and China seem to somehow offer less unpleasant themes is incorrect. Assuming these histories—which include details such as the archaic activities of the Roman colosseum—are any less violent than the history of residential schooling is completely false, and renders the UCP’s views on teaching histories which include violence as inconsistent.
Therefore, it is clear curriculum advisors don’t care about shielding children from harsh realities, but that our unseemly history would remain untold. It’s about raising another generation of people who are oblivious to Canada’s history of discrimination and mistreatment of Indigenous peoples, and thus encouraging a public schooling system rife with systemic racism. This is even clearer when looking at the UCP’s history of disregarding Indigenous relations.
Additionally, children have the right to know and should know about these issues (as it will one day be their duty to defend and protect Canada’s values), my position is also informed with regard to contemporary child studies. It is now commonly understood that children are more capable of coping with knowledge surrounding violence than they are given credit for—and that education on systems akin to that of residential schools does not compromise their assumed ‘innocence.’
Julie Garlen, a prominent Carleton researcher and educator in childhood studies, made a similar argument in her article on the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on children. In this article, she makes the point that the fear and trauma children may experience during the pandemic is not the end of childhood innocence, but an opportunity to teach them something valuable about the state and balance of the world.
Answering difficult questions can be tough for parents and educators, but children also have the right to understand the world’s challenges in order to protect themselves and defend others. Garlen states, “Childhood as a state of innocence of not knowing or inexperience is a myth. All children experience sadness, grief, fear and disappointment, some earlier and in greater measure than others.” Attempting to shield them from the realities of COVID-19 is impractical.
Additionally, excusing children who benefit from the effects of colonization from learning about it is nothing short of systemic racism and anti-child rhetoric. A class on residential schools will most definitely not be their first time grappling with adversity anyway. As Garlen states (based on the Convention on the Rights of the Child), “supporting the rights of children today and every day means taking seriously their questions, concerns and capabilities”—and censoring their curriculum to exclude residential schooling is in direct opposition to this.
Canada has a long history of suppressing the truth about cultural intolerance in Canada. Many Canadians were never properly educated about the residential school system. Even in the wake of movements such as Black Lives Matter, people continue to ignore the ugliness of racism in Canada, thus limiting the ability of Canadians to have a productive conversation surrounding the country’s ongoing cultural genocide against Indigenous people.
Children will witness bigotry and inequity regardless of whether they are taught about its historical roots, so let’s prepare them for what they will inevitably face and respect them enough to educate and prepare them. Let’s finally address this issue so the next generation does not destroy the road to reconciliation.
Featured infographic by Sara Mizannojehdehi.
